Opponents of Washington's new law legalizing same-sex marriage conceded defeat Thursday in their efforts for a referendum veto. Referendum 74 gave Washington voters the choice to accept or reject the state same-sex marriage legislation, which was signed into law by Governor Christine Gregoire in February. While the referendum was …

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday that MoneyGram International, Inc. entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ. According to the DOJ, MoneyGram admitted "to criminally aiding and abetting wire fraud and failing to maintain an effective anti-money laundering program." From 2004 to 2009, MoneyGram processed thousands of …

The US Supreme Court affirmed a stay of execution late Thursday night for Pennsylvania inmate Hubert Michael. The Supreme Court's decision affirms the 14-day stay of execution allowed by the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit earlier on Thursday. The Third Circuit also requested that US District …

Irwin Lipkin, a former controller of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, (BLMIS) pleaded guilty in a Manhattan federal court Thursday to falsifying records. The full range of charges to which Lipkin has pleaded guilty include conspiracy to commit securities fraud, to make false filings with the Security Exchanges Commission (SEC), and to …

Fear of deportation prevents many migrant women in Belgium from seeking necessary protection from domestic violence, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released Friday. The 57-page report, entitled "'The Law was Against Me': Migrant Women's Access to Protection for Family Violence in Belgium," found that women who immigrate to Belgium to join their …

The International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia (ICTY) on Thursday rejected a third request for early release for former Bosnian Serb parliament speaker Momcilo Krajisnik. Krajisnik was convicted in 2006 of persecution, extermination, murder, deportation and inhumane acts during the 1992-95 Bosnian Civil War. …

The US District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana on Thursday heard arguments regarding approval of a class-action settlement agreement between British Petroleum (BP) and various individuals and businesses affected by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Attorneys on both sides urged Judge Carl Barbier to approve …

A federal judge at the US District Court for the District of Arizona sentenced Jared Lee Loughner to life in prison on Thursday for killing six people in the January 2011 Tucson shooting. The shooting also injured thirteen people, including former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ). Judge Larry A. Burns sentenced Loughner …

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